Switching mechanism



the time of day.A Moreover, it yis desirableV Patented Nov. y 28, 1922.

s'iArEs tias@ WARREN P. LoUDoN, orv WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNoR To WESTING- i HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A ooRPoRATIoN 0E PENNSYL- VANIA.

SWITCiHING 'MECHANISIVL .Application filed August 6, 1920. Serial No. 401,670.

T0 all whom it may cfmcei'it: v

Be it known that I, lVAininN P. LoUDoN, a citizen ot' the United States, and a resident of lVilkinsbui-g, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful liiiproveinent in Switching Mechanisms, of which the following` is a specification.-

My invention relates to switching mechanisms, and. particularly, to switching mechanisms for controlling the ignition and lighting circuits of automobiles. y

The object of my invention is to provide a `switching mechanism that shall have two rotatable switch drums' coaxially mounted and that shall be provided with means for locking one of the'iswitch drums only in the Oil position and for preventing movement of the second switch drum from any occupied position whenthe first switch drinn is in any position.

In operating an automobile, it is desirable to lock the ignition switch in the Oil, position and to prevent operation of the lighting switch from any occupied position when the ignition switch locked in the Off p0- tion. Moreover, it is desirable to prevent operation of the lighting switch i'rom any occupied position when the ignition switch is in an operative position. Thus, when an aiitomobileis parked, it is desirable to have the ignition switch locked in its Off position `and to-prevent operation of the lighting switch either from the Off position or from any operative f'position, according to to prevent operation of the lighting switch from any of its operative positions when the ignition switch is in an operative position.

In a switching mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, thel ignition switch can be locked in its Off position and the lighting switch drum can be disconnected from its operating handle to prevent operation of the lighting switch from any position. Thus,` movement of the lighting switch Ina-y be prevented either from its Off position or from any of its operative positions. The position of the ignition switch in no way prevents the operation o' the means for disconnecting the. lightiig switch drinn from its operating handles In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the ignition switch and the lighting' switch each comprise a contact drum. The

contact drumshave the same axis of rotation and a suitable handle is provided for operating each of the drums. A lock mechanism is provided for locking the ignition drum in the Off position and for disconnecting the lighting drum from its associated handle in any position of such lighting drum. The ignition drum is provided with a recess and a pin or block member, which is under the control of the lock mechanism, is adapted to enter such recess and prevent movement oi' the ignition switch from the Off position it the locking mechanism is in the locked position. If the locking mechanism. is operated when the ignition switch is in an operative position, the ignition drum will be locked upon its return to initial or VOff position.

The locking mechanism is provided with a wedge member which disconnects the lighting drum from its associated operating hanthe line IV-IV of Fig. f2, and F ig. 5 is a detailed view of the spring member for ac-A centuating the positions of the drums.

Referring to the drawing,a casing l, of anysuitable metallic material, is attached to abase member 2. The base member 2 may be mounted upon the dash-board of an automobile in any suitable manner. Plates of insulating material 3 are mounted upon the base of the casing l for supporting the vayrious contact terminals of the switching .'niechanisin. It' so, desired, the casing l may be composed of any suitable insulating material. Y

A rod 4. which extends through. the base 2 and the casing l. supports an ignition switch drinn 5 and a lighting switch drum 6. The drinn is fixedly mounted on the rod 4, whereas the drum G is rotatably mounted on such rod. An ignition switch handle 7 is connected to the rod 4. by a pin 8 or any other suitable means and serves to eect operation die. Accordingly, whenever the lock isy ico anged cylinder 9 drums and 6 and of the ignition drum, A is positioned between the rthe handle 7, and a washer is mounted outside. the plates 3 near the end of the rod 4 for malntaining the drums aand 6 and the rod 4 in position.

A handle 11 is mounted on the cylinder 9 between the base plate 2 and the ignition handle 7 and serves to control the operation ot' the lighting drum 6. The lighting switch handle 11 is connected, in any suitablemmanner, to a collar member 12 which is-located on the opposite sideof the base plate 2 and which is rotatably nmounted upon the cylinder 9. V l f A spring member 13,l is Irigidly connected .to the collar member 12'and isv provided with a.- pm 14 for @entering a'recess 15, formed in the lighting drum 6. The lspring member 13 is provided with a projecting portion 16 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. A washer 17, ofanysuitable'v insulating material, is'disposed between 'the two d rums 5 and 6 and 1a second washer 18is located between the ignition' drum 5k and the insulating disc 3, which is mounted on the base of the casin -1.v

The lightmg drum 6 is provided with a contact segment 19 which is movedinto engagement with the vcontact fingers 20, 21 and 22, according to the operative position of such switch.. Notches 23 are formed in the periphery of such drum and are engaged -by a bowed spring member 24 for accentu- The be composed of any ating the various switch positions. drums 5 and 6 may `suitable insulating material.

The ignition drum 5 is provided with a Contact segment 25 which is adapted to bridge the contact iingers 26 and 27 `when the ignition switch is in an operative position. Two notches 2S are formed in the periphery of the drum 5 and cof-operate' with a bowed spring member 29 for accentuating the 0n and the Off position oi' the ignition switch. yA recess 3() is-formed in the periphery of the ignition drum -for a i purpose tobe hereinafter set forth.

'locking the ignition drum sltion and'for disconnecting the lighting mechanism is mnnted in a A locking mechanism 31, preferably of the Yale or Corbin type, is provided for in the Off podrum from its associated handle in any position of the lighting drum. The locking cylinder 32 which is located within the .casing 1. A key 33 is provided for operating the locking mechanism and forei'ccting rotaion ot a cylinder 34. The tumblers, (not shown), of the leiiking mechanism prevent rotation ot' thefcyhnder 3ft within the cylinder 32 ex' cept when the key 33 is inserted in position. inasmuch as my invention does not in volvo thc. specific construction oi the lock itself a detailed description of such lock .is omitted.

- the cam-shaped end A wedge member 36, which is mounted upon the cylinder`34.` and which projects through the cylinder 32, is adapted to engage the projection 16 of the spring 13 and to raise the pin 14 from the recess 15 in the drum 6 whenever the locking mechanism is moved to a locked position. The wedge member 36 is or such size, as shown in Fig. 4, as to effect operation of the spring member 13 for disconnecting the drum 6 from the handle 11 no matter what the operative poe sition of the lighting drum may be.

block or pin member 38, which project through an opening rear the end of the cylinder 32, is adapted to enter the recess in the drum 5 when sach drum is in its Off position and the locking mechanism is in the locked position. The cylinder 34 is provided wit'h a cam-shaped end portion 39 which co-operates with. a groove 4.0 in the block 38 for adj` @sting the position of such block. The block2 38 is biased to the raised orf' locked position by a spring member 41, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The locking mechanism is shown in the locked position. Upon rotation of the key in a clockwise direction to the unlocked position,

portion 39 of the cylinder 34e, operating within the groove 4() of the block 38, lowers such block away from the ignition drum 5.

in a switch mechanism constructed as above set forth, it is apparent that the ig nition drum maybe locked in the Off position and the lighting' drum may be rendered inoperative no matter what position may be occupied by it. Moreover. the locking mechanism may be operated when the ignition drum is in an operative position to prevent further operation of the lighting sitlon. Modifications in the mechanism and in the arrangement and location of parts may be made vwithin the spirit and scope oi my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim is my invention 1. In a switching n'xec'hanism, 'the-combination with two switch drums, and a handle for operating each of said drums, ot means comprising a lockingdevice for locking one of said ldrums in the Off position thereof fandtorfdisconnecting the second .drum from its associated handle in any operative positionlof said second drum.

2. in n' switching mechanis1n, the com binationwith two vswitch drums, and a handle ,operativelyl connected to each of said drums, of a member for, engaging one of said drums in the Qif position thereof, a member for disconnecting the second drum from its associated handle in any 'position of said second drum and a locking device for conl05 drum and to effect locking of the ignition y drum when it is returned to the Oii' po- 3. In a switchi1iff\ mechanism the com bination with twoswitc'h drums mounted for rotation about the same axis and a handle operatively connected to each of said drums, one of said drums having a recess therein, of a member for entering said recess to lock said one drum against rotation, a member for disconnecting the other drum from its associated handle, and a locking device for operating said locking member and said disconnecting member. l

4.*In a switching mechanism, the combination with an ignition drum having a recess therein, an element biased to enter said recess when the ignition drum is in the Off position, a handle for controlling said drum, a lighting drum rotating about th'e same axis as said ignition drum, a handle for said lighting drum, and a spring connection between the lighting drum and its associated handle, of a member for operating said spring connection to disconnect the lighting drum from its handle and a lockposition thereof, and awedge lmember :fory rendering the lighting handle ineffective in any position ofthe lighting drum.

6. In a switching mechanism, the com bination with two drums, and a handle for operating each of said drums, of means for locking one of said drums only in the Off for preventing position thereof and for rendering the handle of the second drum ineffective when said drum is in any position.

7. In a switching mechanism, the` com` bination comprising two rotatable switch members having the same axis of rotation,

a handle for operating each of said drums, and means for locking one of said switch members in the Off position thereof and for preventing operation of the second switch member by its associated switch handle when said second switch member is in any position.

8. Inl a switching mechanism, the combination comprising two switch members having the same axis of rotation, a handle for operating each of said switch members, and means for locking onen of said switch members only in the Off position thereof and for preventing operationl of the second switch member when it is in any position.

9. In a switching mechanism, thev combination with two switchA drums having a common axis of rotation, of means for locking one of said drums' in the Off positionI thereof and means for preventing operation of the second drum when the first drum is inl any` position. A l0. In a switching mechanism, the combination with two switch Adrums having a common axis of rotation, of locking means o eration of either switch drum from the 5H position and for preventing movement of one switch drum from any occupied position when the other drum is in any position. 'In testimonyv whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of July,

WARREN P. LOUDON. 

